We're covering China's tit-for-tat move to restrict AI access by any foreign entity in the tech war, a Magic: The Gathering charity Secret Lair drop benefiting the Global Fund for Women, and a clever battery solution Apple may be planning for the iPhone Air 2.
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Top Stories
Decatur is using AI software to decide which roads get fixed
Decatur has signed off on artificial intelligence software to help decide which roads get fixed, a real change in how the city plans its infrastructure work. Instead of leaning only on manual inspections or the usual assessment methods, city leaders will now use AI-driven analysis to rank road maintenance across town.
For drivers and residents, the appeal is easy to grasp. Smarter prioritization could mean the roads in the worst shape get attention sooner, and that tight public works budgets go further. Software built for this kind of job usually crunches road condition data to rank repair needs, which gives officials a more defensible, data-backed case for where to send crews and money.
Now that the software has the green light, Decatur will start folding the technology into its road repair planning. It's a move other cities might copy as they look for data-driven ways to manage infrastructure that keeps getting older.
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Magic: The Gathering's charity Secret Lair drop will be printed to demand
Magic: The Gathering is setting aside its usual Secret Lair playbook for Their Magic Is Limitless, a charity drop printed to demand and on sale during a two-week window from July 20 through August 3. That detail matters a lot to fans who've spent years watching limited-run drops vanish into scalpers' carts before most players even get a chance to click buy. Half of every purchase goes straight to Global Fund for Women, which backs grassroots gender justice movements around the world.
The drop packs in seven cards, more than the usual Secret Lair offering, and includes a few genuinely useful staples. The headliner is Finale of Devastation, a green Commander powerhouse that runs around $50 on the secondary market right now. It costs $39.99 for the non-foil version and $49.99 for foil. Wizards built the set as a celebration of women in Magic: a creative team of eight women pulled from across Wizards of the Coast, with artwork from seven female illustrators including Magali Villeneuve and Livia Prima.
The decision walks back what Secret Lair senior director Lindsey Bartell said just this past February, when she explained that print-to-demand created supply chain bottlenecks and was essentially off the table. Wizards seems to be making an exception for charity products, and while that probably won't overhaul the wider Secret Lair model anytime soon, it does open a door fans will be watching closely.
iPhone Air 2 could pack a larger battery without getting thicker
The original iPhone Air made one thing clear: people want ultra-thin hardware. It also revived an old worry, because a slim chassis almost always means a smaller battery. A new leak from tipster Digital Chat Station suggests Apple is already trying to fix that with the second-generation iPhone Air. The device is expected in spring 2027, and it could carry a 3,500mAh battery. That's roughly 11 percent more than the current model's 3,149mAh cell. The jump doesn't sound huge on paper, but Apple has spent years turning modest battery gains into real endurance through tight hardware and software tuning.
The tricky part is finding room for that bigger cell inside a device this thin. Rumors suggest Apple could switch to Samsung's CoE OLED technology, which uses a thinner display stack and might free up internal space without making the phone any thicker. The rumored A20 chip, built on a 2nm process, should also sip less power than its predecessors, which stretches the effect of the battery upgrade further. There's another wrinkle too. Several reports say Apple plans to add a second rear camera, probably an ultra-wide sensor, which would fix what a lot of people see as the current Air's biggest weakness.
Pulling all of that off is the real test: a larger battery, a more efficient chip, a thinner display, and an extra camera, all packed into the same razor-thin frame. If Apple manages it, the iPhone Air 2 could land in the first half of 2027 as proof that an ultra-slim phone doesn't have to come with an endurance warning attached.
Quick Hits
Computing
Asus ExpertBook Ultra packs surprising raw power into an ultra-thin chassis, though you'll pay a premium for the privilege. (More)
Mobile
Siri finally lets you fiddle with how it talks. In iOS 26 beta 3, Apple slipped in a set of voice customization sliders that let you adjust the assistant's pace and how expressive it sounds. (More)
Google and Android fans may not always overlap as much as you'd think, and a new poll is asking users which camp they actually fall into. (More)
iPhone's built-in safety features are worth a few minutes of your time to set up, covering everything from crash detection to emergency SOS. (More)
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Audio / Video
Marshall has refreshed two of its best-known Bluetooth speakers, the Acton IV and Stanmore IV, and the changes go deeper than a fresh coat of paint. (More)
Clip-style open earbuds have won over at least one skeptic, proving that comfort and wearability can matter just as much as sound quality. (More)
Gaming
State of Decay 3 is no longer required to launch on Game Pass, following the broader Xbox shift away from day-one first-party releases on the service. (More)
Virtual taekwondo is gaining attention as a noncontact format that could make martial arts more accessible to kids, beginners, and older athletes who'd otherwise avoid the physical risks. (More)
Rekindle is a new VR empathy game that uses face-tracking biometrics to turn your real emotions into gameplay mechanics. (More)
Entertainment
Hide and Seek, the book adaptation of the hit Netflix series is now available, so fans can dive deeper into the story beyond the screen. (More)
Netflix's second seasons are seeing viewership drops of 30–70% compared to first seasons, according to a new report. (More)
There isn't enough here to write an accurate Quick Hits item. The excerpt gives us a title and a source name, nothing else. No dates, no numbers, no quotes, no actual news to work with. (More)
AI
ChatGPT ranked the 10 most iconic chocolate bars in the world for World Chocolate Day, and its No. 1 pick might surprise you. (More)
Marquis Who's Who has recognized Torian Richardson for his leadership in artificial intelligence, board governance, and venture building. (More)
AI models are already "doing things their creators never intended," according to Australia's assistant technology minister, adding fresh urgency to global calls for tighter AI oversight. (More)
Most people who use ChatGPT stick to the same handful of tricks: ask a question, get an answer, move on. (More)
Smart Home
The LG Signature WM9900HSA is a 5.8-cubic-foot flagship washer that leans on AI to sort out its cleaning cycles, and it comes with an auto-dispensing soap drawer plus a slick LCD panel. (More)
Apple's AI-powered Home app features require a 2TB iCloud+ subscription, making them off-limits for anyone on a cheaper storage plan. (More)
A robot vacuum critically injured a man in Australia, leaving his family saying their lives have been "turned upside down." (More)
Cars / EV
Rivian stock is pulling back sharply after a recent winning streak, according to a new report from Barron's. (More)
Wearables
Photography
iPhone Air 2 is shaping up nicely, with leaker Jon Prosser revealing a new color, updated camera, and next-gen processor in an eight-minute video breakdown. (More)
Final Bits
PlayStation's disc pullback blindsided publishers and retailers
Game Pass may change under Xbox's new restructuring
Nolan's Odyssey gets mixed first reactions
Microsoft Xbox is laying off 20% of its staff
Backrooms hits premium streaming this week
Amazon's Tomb Raider animated series gets a new Lara Croft
iPhone 17 Pro Max sealed in a time capsule until 2276